I didn't actually get a picture of the complete finished product, but this is pretty close to what it looked like...just stir in the mayo and you've got it.OK, This recipe calls for a bunch of cooked chicken. I cooked a whole chicken for soup and had a bunch left. I think that this batch may have used around 2-1/2 cups of cooked chicken, but it made a ton of salad.
Cooked Chicken
Mayonnaise (because Mowers don't like Miracle Whip)
Green vegetables Onion
Garlic
Pineapple (optional)
Nuts (optional)
Chop your chicken up really fine, put in a bowl. Or you could put it in a pot, or a tupperware. Just put it somewhere. Leave it on the counter, I don't care. Then chop up some green vegetables. I say green because I think carrots or squash would taste weird in it, but this is your salad, so feel free to add a beet if thats what floats your boat. What you're really going for here is texture. A good chicken salad has some good fresh crunch to it. Celery is perfect for chicken salad, as is green pepper, green onion, etc. A green vegetable that contains alot of water is normally really crunchy, but you should avoid leafy vegetables as they will wilt when you stir the salad. I added some snap peas to my salad, but I did'nt care for the flavor that it added, it was kind of a sweet taste that just did'nt jive with the rest of the salad. Don't forget your onion. Fresh onions add a great flavor, good nutrition, and great texture to a chicken salad. You probably only need half an onion, but if you like onion, add more. If you don't like onion, add pineapple instead. I personally don't care for pineapple in chicken salad, but lots of folks do, and if you're one of them, go for. I don't think I'd put an onion with pineapple, It would probably be weird. If you add onion, add a little garlic as well. The taste that you really want is one that allows the flavor of the chicken to be foremost. The vegetable are mostly there for texture, but the taste of celery and onion will really help the chicken to come out. What I'm trying to say is that you really don't need much by way of spices. The beauty of chicken salad is that it is a fresh tasting food, light but satisfying. You could add nuts to the salad, I think the best nuts would be those that are very crispy, such as almonds, brazil nuts, corn nuts, walnuts, (ok, just kidding about some of those). This is mostly it...if I think of more, I'll add it later.
-Cameron
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